Why did class devolve into chaos???
I think it started to go into chaos once we expanded the option of what we could do beyond what the client wanted. Then, we were trying to figure out how to divide the groups and work. That’s when things got a little chaotic.
What could you have done to keep that from happening?
I think when we started exploring more options, we should have clarified a bit more what each project would entail. For a while there, someone was thinking the video was 15 minutes while someone else said 4. Once we clarified that the video would be 30 seconds to a minute we all seemed a bit more accepting of doing a video. I would have wanted people to specify a bit more what we were doing before we continued to discuss whether we were going to work on it or not. It would have made the decision of what we were doing a lot quicker.
Regurgitating ideas you have read is all well and good, but if you cannot apply them, then what is the point?
Yes, we didn’t really apply a lot of what we learned in our reading to our class discussion. I think that even though we didn’t use them, we learned why we should use them. It’s not as good as actually USING those techniques but when we saw how chaotic our discussion became, I think we saw that we should have used some of the techniques we’ve talked about in class.
What can you do to be more mindful of your team buidling decisions and how to actually implement the techniques we have been learning all semester?
I think it would be best to take a minute and mentally “step away” from the conversation to evaluate what is happening and compare it to what I’ve read. Then from there figure out the best solution for what to do.
Is always sticking with people you already know the best solution to forming a good team? Working with people you already know may be human nature and the easiest way to make sure you get a good grade on a project, but remember that you are being assessed in this course not only on the product you create but how you work with your team and apply the techniques we have been covering in class… Unlike other classes, the product in this class is secondary to the process of creating the product.
It’s not always the best solution for forming a group. If the group we chose to be in happens to not work or go as smoothly as we’d like, we’d still have to figure out a way to get a long and make it work. Which, is still implementing our techniques that we’ve learned in class. If we do get along and everything goes smoothly (which, no offense to anyone, isn’t likely because something is bound to go wrong at some point) I would say that we have learned how a group get’s along well and can take those techniques and apply it to another group.
What did you learn about yourself and team building as a result of what happened in class today?
I really do tend to keep my thoughts and ideas to myself. A lot of the time, it’s really because I think, “Oh, that idea isn’t really going to work or help” or “Someone already said something similar.” I guess I’m afraid I could say something that will either make the problem worse or not really be of any help at all. What I’ve figured out is that some of the things I was thinking, some people had said and that I should just speak up. It could end the debate a lot sooner.
How should the potential conflict that could erupt based on discussion today be handled in a way that allows for the best teams and personal satisfaction for all people?
Again, I think that if a conflict does erupt we need to take a minute, calm down, and use our techniques we’ve learned to solve the situation. At this point, we are all split into teams and if any conflict erupts it will probably be within the team. We all should be in a team that we feel we could work with best and working on a task that we prefer to work on. I think it will be up to the team members to figure out a way to resolve the conflict in the best way we know how.
Instead of just backing down and saying, “Whatever…” what might be a better way to incorporate and include all ideas and styles?
I really thought the best idea that was brought up was to let groups form based on the task they wanted to work on, seeing as there were some people who were dead-set on making a video.
Sharayah Sanders 